This invention relates to information technology for television and more particular, to digital video recorders (DVRs) and digital rights management (DRM).
Digital media files can be easily copied and distributed without any reduction in quality and as a result, they are being widely distributed on the Internet through both authorized and unauthorized distribution channels. DRM systems maintain control over intellectual property distribution defining rules for delivery, playing and copying. Limitations on playing usually include start and end time, maximum duration and maximum count, i.e. single play or limited number of plays. Typically, a DRM system protects intellectual property by either encrypting data so that it could only be accessed by authorized users or marking the content with a digital watermark or similar method thereby warning that the content may not be freely distributed.
While this invention contributes to DRM in general, it addresses first of all a specific problem: skipping commercials by users of digital video recorders (DVRs).
Since introduction of VCR television viewers can record any television program, watch it at the time of their choice and skip commercials using a fast forward button on the remote control. For decades it has no impact on television advertising because viewers have been using VCRs much more for playing rented tapes than for recording transmitted programs. But DVR is, in fact, a computer that records video data on its hard drive and uses intelligence inherent in computerized systems to make the recording easier. Today DVRs automatically record television series and in the nearest future they will do the same for all genres including movies. Users will watch more recorded than “live” programs and skip commercials in the programs. All major consumer electronics companies manufacture DVRs coupled with DVD players and personal computer manufacturers are building multimedia units capable of receiving, storing and playing television programs. The largest cable and satellite operators have already made DVR equipment and services available to their subscribers.
Unlike videotape, which is a sequential access medium, hard disk drive is direct access storage. While VCRs allow sequential fast forward and fast reverse movements, DVRs may allow instant jumps to any part of stored program. DVR pioneers, TiVo and ReplayTV, provided buttons on the remote control to jump 30 second forward over a commercial and 7 seconds backward for a “correction”, if required. Cable operators do not offer this feature in cable boxes to avoid a legal battle with media companies but with digital fast forward, users can get through a typical 2-minute commercial brake in about 30 seconds. In no way this compromise can prevent users from skipping commercials.
Currently there are a number of ideas how to “punish” users that are trying to skip commercials. TiVo is experimenting with running a 90-second advertisement when user fast forward through a 30-second commercial. A similar idea is disclosed in the published application Ser. No. 10/481,151 filed by Kelly at al. Consumer however could fight back giving preference to harassment-free products and services.
It seems the new video recorders are going to take away a powerful tool that television gave advertisers a half-century ago. And as a result, free television programming funded by advertisement is about to be history together with television commercials.
Fortunately DRM approach can help to keep free programming alive. Paradoxically, in the digital age free television programming needs DRM protection. At the same time DVR, as a device with high-capacity storage and intelligence, has a potential to dramatically improve the technology of advertisement.